Balls & Strikes by Corey Noleshttp://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/
en-usCopyright 2015, Dexter Daily StatesmanYouth will have to show maturity for Cardinals to weather Wacha/Garcia losshttp://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58658/
http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58658/By COREY NOLES
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ST. LOUIS --The announcement Sunday afternoon that St. Louis Cardinals starting pitchers Michael Wacha and Jaime Garcia would be heading to the disabled list came as quite a shock.
After manager Mike Matheny's postgame press conference, we were asked to wait because general manager John Mozeliak would be making "an announcement."
We joked about what it could be, but a Michael Wacha shoulder injury wasn't even on the radar--not even as a joke.
A...Sun, 22 Jun 2014 21:35:02 -0500Wainwright to make his Saturday starthttp://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58621/
http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58621/By COREY NOLES
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"Yes. It's official."
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright said Wednesday morning that he is on track to make his Saturday start against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Wainwright, 9-3 with a 2.15 ERA, missed a start this week due to what was described by the team as "tennis elbow."
He threw a bullpen session Wednesday morning and said he feels good moving forward and added that the skipped start was out of an abundance of precaution.
"Had we...Wed, 18 Jun 2014 15:23:37 -0500Holliday's 1,000th RBI is the sign of a career of consistencyhttp://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58597/
http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58597/By COREY NOLES
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Matt Holliday has always been in an odd place as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.
While plenty of fans recognize him for what he has done, there is a certain faction that seems to always be looking for a reason to complain about Holliday.
This is the same faction that always sees him as the obvious "trade chip." He's the fan base's perennial fall guy even when he's putting up solid numbers--and that's something he's done regularly during...Tue, 17 Jun 2014 15:14:57 -0500MLB needs to drop the circus, do instant replay the right wayhttp://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58526/
http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58526/By COREY NOLES
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The installation of advanced replay in Major League Baseball was a long time coming.
From Don Denkinger's classic call in the 1985 World Series to Armando Galarraga's blown perfect game, bad calls and missed chances have been a shadow over the game since, well, forever.
First initiated in 2008, the original plan was only to calls involving home runs. Managers were left out of the process, with the umpire crew chief being the only individual...Wed, 11 Jun 2014 22:28:06 -0500Oscar Taveras may be heading to St. Louis, but here are 5 things he is not...http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58401/
http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58401/#474632757 / gettyimages.com
By COREY NOLES
With one tweet from longtime St. Louis Cardinals writer Rob Rains of StLSportsPage.com, all of St. Louis was turned on its edge Saturday night.
Rains tweeted that he had learned from "a source in Memphis," that Oscar Taveras had cleaned out his locker at Auto Zone Park in Memphis and was being promoted to the major league club.
After much speculation, ESPNDesportes and Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch confirmed his report--noting that...Fri, 30 May 2014 22:12:19 -0500Why any fan of baseball should be a Derek Jeter fanhttp://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58377/
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By COREY NOLES
I did not grow up in a New York Yankees household.
None of the men who taught me about the game and its way of captivating even the most unsuspecting of fans had any love for the Yankees.
Of course, any team with that many championships will leave a wide trail of animosity in their wake.
My own mentors had a definite disdain for the Bronx Bombers, but they also had something else--respect.
In all of sports, the most despised and criticized...Thu, 29 May 2014 16:27:13 -0500Bob Gibson wasn't as plunk-happy as some believehttp://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58343/
http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58343/#186057036 / gettyimages.com
By COREY NOLES
For decades, we've heard the stories of Bob Gibson as a no-nonsense pitcher who many believed to be quick to plunk a batter who got too greedy with the plate.
The interesting thing is that, while many people remember him that way, the numbers don't entirely support that notion.
In 17 years with the St. Louis Cardinals, Bob Gibson plunked, thumped or popped 102 batters.
That places him in a tie for 79th--with Randy Wolf, Carlos Zambrano, Chief...Tue, 27 May 2014 15:41:01 -0500Stark's "Wild Pitches" captures the human essence through baseballhttp://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58293/
http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58293/By COREY NOLES
Many baseball-related books come across my desk over the course of a year.
Some of them are good, but get brushed aside for whatever reason--usually because I forgot about them.
The newest effort from Jayson Stark, longtime baseball writer for ESPN, got my attention in a hurry. Whether that was due to baseball reasons or the classic endorsement of Jon Hamm on the back cover is beside the point.
Truthfully, I was sucked in during his own introduction where he shares a tale...Thu, 22 May 2014 10:41:08 -0500Matheny's "grind" approach came at the right timehttp://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58275/
http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58275/By COREY NOLES
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Grind.
That's the new buzzword for the St. Louis Cardinals and it's coming along at the right time.
Following Thursday's win against the Chicago Cubs, manager Mike Matheny spoke extensively on the new way of thinking for his club.
Did he see the day's win as a source of momentum? Maybe, but he gave a new answer to that question signaling a shift both in his approach and what he's saying to drive his team.
"Possibly, but I'm taking a different...Tue, 20 May 2014 20:54:06 -0500Kolten Wong feels like he has something to prove after slow starthttp://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58224/
http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58224/By COREY NOLES
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After fighting a stomach bug on his first day back in St. Louis, Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong is ready to get back to work--and in the lineup.
Following a slow start at the major league level, Wong was optioned to the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds on April 27. Over 15 games, Wong batted .344 (22-for-64) with two home runs and 10 RBI.
During his time in Memphis, he focused on doing whatever necessary to earn him another promotion.
Wong said...Thu, 15 May 2014 21:08:09 -0500Peralta's bat comes to life--and few noticehttp://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58081/
http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58081/By COREY NOLES
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It's been a tumultuous week (month? season?) for the St. Louis Cardinals. It only makes sense that some things would slip through the cracks.
Between the now defunct disappearance of the Peter Bourjos, a stagnant offense and a clinic on new ways to ground into a double plays, those focusing on the negative seem to have overlooked something--Jhonny Peralta is playing some great baseball.
In his first few weeks as a Cardinal, Peralta couldn't seem...Tue, 06 May 2014 08:56:03 -0500Why it's time for Oscar Taverashttp://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58065/
http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58065/By COREY NOLES
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It's time for Oscar Taveras.
I've stayed on the fence about this issue for as long as I can, but now the St. Louis Cardinals need Oscar Taveras. It's that simple.
What happened this past weekend at Wrigley Field in Chicago was a microcosm of the issues the Cardinals have seen since Opening Day. From struggling at bats to baserunning snafus, this team has seen it all.--and they're better than that.
Yes, April is early. So is May.
But the games...Mon, 05 May 2014 10:06:54 -0500Why the designated hitter is killing the National Leaguehttp://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58024/
http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58024/By COREY NOLES
I love National League baseball. I figure that's where I should start.
I love the double switch, the Mike Hampton home run and the danger of underestimating any major league caliber player at the plate.
I love watching pitchers get excited about their offense. I love the Adam Wainwright is convinced (and so am I) that he will win the Silver Slugger in 2014.
The designated hitter robs the game of those elements.
The debate about the designated hitter is nothing new....Wed, 30 Apr 2014 10:05:17 -0500Grichuk may be the real prize in the David Freese dealhttp://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58003/
http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/58003/By COREY NOLES
When the St. Louis Cardinals traded away hometown boy David Freese to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, few balked at the deal.
Sure, it stinks to see a local boy, just recently on top of the world, struggle and eventually leave town to search for success in a new uniform. It's just part of the game.
The trade that brought in Peter Bourjos and Randal Grichuk was largely considered a win-win for the Cardinals. While I agree with that statement, it's for a different...Tue, 29 Apr 2014 08:54:00 -0500Cardinal hurlers see Wainwright as an able leaderhttp://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/57991/
http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/57991/By COREY NOLES
With the official retirement of Chris Carpenter at the end of the 2013 season, Adam Wainwright became the de facto staff leader--a job some of the St. Louis Cardinals young pitchers feel he handles like a pro.
Being the elder hurler on a pitching staff doesn't make one a leader. Being a great pitcher does not make a leader.
Being a leader comes natural. Either you have it or you don't.
Adam Wainwright has it.
When Shelby Miller arrived in St. Louis, he was a young man...Mon, 28 Apr 2014 10:16:52 -0500Cardinals keeping offensive struggles in perspectivehttp://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/57988/
http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/57988/By COREY NOLES
St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny acknowledges his team's offensive struggles, but he wants it kept in perspective.
With Peter Bourjos, Allen Craig, Daniel Descalso, Mark Ellis, Jhonny Peralta and Shane Robinson all batting under .200 on April 27, the concerns are legitimate.
At this point, Matheny said they are trying to find the right combination to make something click.
"We've been talking about how to get those guys sharp and when we see an opportunity we're...Sun, 27 Apr 2014 12:29:36 -0500Thank you, Branch Rickey, for giving the Negro Leagues a chancehttp://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/57975/
http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/57975/By COREY NOLES
Baseball has always been a game that reflects the norms of the society in which we live. In no time has that been more true than in the first half of the 20th century.
As I began working on the article for the front page of this Weekend's Edition of The Daily Statesman, I learned just how ugly baseball once was.
I've long known of the Negro League teams of the first half of the 1900s, but my knowledge was very limited. It still is.
However, my appreciation for both the...Fri, 25 Apr 2014 16:32:19 -0500Comparing the Cardinals 2014 lineup to the 2011 Championship lineuphttp://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/57929/
http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/57929/By COREY NOLES
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As the St. Louis Cardinals head back to Busch Stadium for the team's second homestand of the year, columnists are already questioning whether they can live up to the hype.
Picked by many to go deep into the playoffs in 2014--possibly all the way--the Cardinals have high expectations.
While the organization isn't fond of discussing external expectations, their internal expectations are also quite high.
With such a solid team throughout the...Tue, 22 Apr 2014 21:45:48 -0500Jon Jay called. He wants his job back.http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/57900/
http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/57900/By COREY NOLES
It's funny the difference a little bit of time can back. In 2012, the St. Louis Cardinals centerfielder Jon Jay was on top of the world.
Riding the wave of the organization's 11th world championship, Jay had a career season. Over the course of the year, he became one of the league's best leadoff men.
Hitting .305 with 19 stolen bases in 2013, Jay was on top of the world. There were even talks of him being in the running for a Gold Glove award.
While his glove was solid,...Sun, 20 Apr 2014 16:51:58 -0500Stock up, stock down for the Cardinals Top 10 prospectshttp://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/57862/
http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/coreynoles/entry/57862/By COREY NOLES
With minor league baseball heating up across the country, the St. Louis Cardinals 10 best prospects are already back to working their way up the organizational depth charts.
From the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds all of the way down to extended spring training in Florida, the Cardinals system is packed with exciting young prospects at all levels of the organization.
For this look into the early season progress of the organization's top prospects, I chose the top 10 by adhering to...Thu, 17 Apr 2014 07:49:59 -0500